Interchangeable ornaments for buttons



April'7, 1959 T. R. RYAN 2,880,437

' INTERCHANGEABLE ORNAMENTS FOR BUTTONS Filed Feb. 1, 1957 s2 33 3% $0 2 a 2,2 2% Fig.1.

INVENTOR.

Thomas R R yan,

IM JL H t t 01 ney Unitedv States Patent INTERCHANGEABL'E ORNAMENTS FOR BUTTONS Thomas R. Ryan, Port Washington, N.Y. Application February 1, 1957, Serial No. 637,788

4 Claims. (Cl. 24-113) The present invention relates to improvements in button ornaments and, more specifically, to'an ornamental element which can be attached interchangeably to buttons or the like.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which will fit over all standard shirt, suit and dress buttons, so as to allow the wearing of culf links with standard shirts for men and women (without French cuffs) and on sport shirts, and to allow an ornamental covering of buttons on other portions of male and female attire including all shirts, suits, dresses, blouses, and the like.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which will neatly slip over a button or the like, completely covering the same, so that the button or the like no longer can be seen after my new and improved ornament has been attached thereto, thus giving, for instance, an ordinary shirt, which has no so-called French cuffs but only has simple buttoned sleeves, the appearance of being provided with ornamental cuff links. In this way my new and improved device affords a double advantage to its users: Firstly, it affords on ordinary button-sleeve shirts the luxurious appearance which usually is possible only with cult links and so-called French cuffs on more expensive shirts, blouses or the like, secondly, it also affords the reduction in weight as well as the convenience and timesaving features obtainable only with button-sleeve shirts or the like without requiring the wearer to forego the ornamental effects obtainable by cuff links.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is simply, speedily and easily attachable to, as well as removable from, a button or the like, and which-once it has been attached thereto-will be held thereon securely and safely, so that it cannot be lost by various movements of a shirt sleeve or the like relative to a coat sleeve or to any other garment portions.

Yet still another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is light in weight and inexpensive to manufacture, but which is also of a pleasing outer appearance, durable, sturdy, and well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of my invention; and,

ice

' parts as a pair of lug portions 25 and an end portion 27, is pivoted by means of a pin 30 to a pair of bracket mem-- bers 31, which are extended from, and secured to, the

member 21. Any suitable resilient means for forcing the member 23 toward the member 21, and/or for keeping, .these two members juxtaposed to each other, are pro--.

vided on said members. Said means may consist of any suitable clamp or clasp arrangement on either end of the member 23 or of a spring 32, one end of which preferably is placed into an indentation 33 in the member 21, and is interposed between the member 21 and the portion 27 of the member 23, and tends to force the same in a counterclockwise direction around the pin 30. In order to attach the member 21 to a button or the like (not shown), or to detach it therefrom, a user presses with a finger of this hand upon the portion 27 in the direction of the arrow 23a (Fig. 1), so that the branch portions 24 swing away from the member 21 in the direction of the arrow 34. Thus a button or the like can be engaged, or disengaged easily; thereupon, the portion 27 is released and the spring 32 forces the member 23 to move back into the position shown in Fig. 2.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made Without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific fea tures of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An interchangeable ornament for buttons or the like comprising an ornamental member having a substantially fiat portion, a V-shaped element having a base portion pivoted to said ornamental member and having r esilient curved branch portions extending from said base portion, and means for normally keeping said V-shaped element juxtaposed to said ornamental member, the branch portions of said V-shaped member being constructed and arranged for receiving between them threads fastening a button to a piece of fabric and for engaging said button in such a manner as to fasten thereto said ornamental member.

2. A device of the character described comprising an ornamental member having a ring-shaped rim portion and a recessed center portion adapted for receiving a button, bracket members secured to the rim portion of said ornamental member, and a V-shaped element having a base portion pivoted to said bracket members and having, resilient curved branch portions extending from said base portion over said recess, and means for normally keeping said V-shaped element juxtaposed to said ornamental member, said branch portions being constructed and arranged for receiving between them threads fastening the aforementioned button to a piece of fabric and for engaging said button in such a manner as to fasten thereto said ornamental member.

3. An interchangeable ornament for buttons or the like comprising an ornamental member having a substantially flat portion, hinge means mounted on one side of said ornamental member, a V-shaped element having a base portion hinged to said ornamental member by said hinge means and having resilient curved branch portions extending from said base portion, and resilient nreans interposed between said V-shaped element and said ornamental member tending to force said branch portions toward said ornamental member and to keep them juxtaposed therewith, said branch portions being constructed and arranged for receiving between them threads fastening a button to a piece of fabric and for engaging said button in such a manner as to fasten thereto said ornamental member.

4. A device of the character described comprising an ornamental member having a ring-shaped rim portion and a recessed center portion adapted for receiving a button, pivot means mounted on the rim portion of said ornamental member, a V-shaped element having a base portion pivoted to said ornamental'member by said pivot means and having resilient curved branch portions extending from said base portion over said recess, and resilient means interposed between said V-shaped element and said ornamental member tending to force said branch portions toward said ornamental member and to keep them juxtaposed therewith, said branch portions being constructed and arranged for receiving between them threads fastening the aforementioned button to a piece of facric and for engaging said button in such a manner as to fasten thereto said ornamental member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED .STATES PATENTS 1,520,395 Becker Dec. 23, 1924 1,747,322 Riker Feb. 18, 1930 2,577,723 Groh Dec. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS I 20,863 Great Britain 1892 

